Elemental profile of Ipê species to support timber tracing in Amazon Rainforest

Abstract

Accurate identification of geographical origin and species of wood is crucial for endorsing laws to combat illegal trade. Here, the multi-element profile of Ipê species of economic interest in Brazil was investigated by neutron activation analysis (NAA). Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Co, Eu, Fe, K, La, Na, Rb, Sc, Sm, Sr and Zn were determined in the heartwood and sapwood tissues. The Random Forest algorithm identified Sr, Ba, Sm, La, Ce and Br as the most important elements for discriminating species. The analyses revealed significant differences between species and wood tissues, indicating that multi-element profile has great potential as a forensic tool. The establishment of comprehensive reference databases that cover large geographical areas and take into account the natural variability between species is fundamental to achieving this goal.